The way Kyle Larson put a tumultuous Speedweeks at Daytona behind him was impressive.

Larson, 20, had to deal with the controversy and fallout of punting another driver on the last lap to win a short-track race during NASCAR’s Battle at the Beach. Then his car was launched into the catchfence during a spectacular last-lap crash in the Nationwide Series race, with pieces of his car flying into the grandstands and injuring more than 30 fans.

But Larson, NASCAR’s top driving prospect according to Sporting News, has spent his entire career going from racetrack to racetrack, taking what the situation gives him and trying to go fast.

The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing development driver, who is on loan to Turner Scott Motorsports for this season, finished 13th in the first two Nationwide races, followed by a 32nd-place finish because of an accident at Las Vegas. He then posted back-to-back top-10 finishes — a second at Bristol, where he almost beat Kyle Busch on the final lap, and a sixth at Auto Club Speedway in California.

“I’m surprised at how fast he adapts to certain situations,” said crew chief Trent Owens, who has worked with several young drivers. “We get here on a race weekend to a new track and he just gets right up to speed.

“The best thing is how quick a learner he is. He’s got all the potential in the world to go on and do big things in this sport, for sure. … He’s probably the most mentally strong person I’ve met, especially this young.”

While Larson typically has a heavy racing schedule, what’s new has been the scrutiny. He faced a great deal of criticism after the Battle at the Beach victory where he turned C.E. Falk for the win.

“It’s definitely been new,” Larson said. “My whole career I’ve kind have been the guy that everybody likes. After the Battle at the Beach, the incident I had in the Late Model race, I got a lot of criticism for it.

“But it didn’t affect me really at all and I just kind of shrugged it off and moved on. I don’t really think too hard about anything, whether it’s good talk or bad talk. I just go out there and race and try to change people’s minds.”

Larson also had to battle questions about his ability after the Nationwide wreck at Daytona, where he was collected in the chain-reaction crash and his car vaulted into the fence when he was t-boned by two other drivers.

“Everywhere I go, I still get asked about that wreck,” Larson said. “Hopefully me running well and stuff … people will start remembering me for more of running up front and battling hard.”

Larson does have a win this year. That sixth-place finish March 23 at California came the day after he won the World of Outlaws race in nearby Stockton.

He flew with Tony Stewart to and from the Stockton race after Nationwide practice that day.

“It is cool to be able to fly in his jet,” Larson said. “He almost left me, but he wasn’t going to leave me. It was my first Outlaw win of the year.”

Larson is seventh in the Nationwide standings after five races but admits it’s been a big adjustment.

“Being a rookie and not having a lot of laps on these (NASCAR) tracks, I have got to spend the first half of races just learning how the lines work out through the runs and how the momentum changes. It’s difficult,” he said.

Even though he admits he doesn’t know what kind of impact various changes will have on the car, he can explain what the car is doing for Owens.

“There’s a lot of good teams, a lot of good drivers and there’s a lot who are equal, so whoever gets their car in the best spot usually is going to have the best chance of winning,” Owens said.

“That’s what he is learning. His feedback has been great; his feedback has been very accurate. I’ve been able to make good adjustments on race day and through practice.”

That could lead to a victory soon. For Larson, that would be a career moment.

“Outlaws are really tough and so is Nationwide, but I think this is a bigger scene so it might mean a little bit more to win a Nationwide race,” Larson said. “But any win means a lot to me.”

With his strong start, there already is talk of Larson going Cup racing. Larson said he doesn’t know of any plans yet for his Cup debut.

“I haven’t heard anything about that,” Larson said. “I’m just going to keep trying to do the best I can and if Chip (Ganassi) wants to move me up, hopefully I’m ready and have learned enough in the Nationwide Series to prepare me for the Cup Series.

“I’m taking it one race at a time. I’m having a blast at what I’m doing right now.”